Simply WebCenters - The Most Cost Effective Way To Advertise Your Business

Video and Online Marketing

2011-10-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Video can have a huge impact upon the success of your website as a lead and revenue generating marketing tool. Video has impact and can capture the prospective visitor when seconds count. It has become essential for big ticket items, services and product demonstrations.

Major companies are currently using video to there advantage and it's only a matter of time before it becomes essential for small to medium size business owners as well. I believe the time has already come, considering the state of our economy.

Any means of cost-effectively converting website visitors into customers is every online marketers goal. An eMarketer 2010 report stated that higher conversion rates were seen where video was incorporated in comparison to websites without video.

What's also very important is the ever increasing use of smart phones to surf the internet for the nearest business providing a sought after product or service. Having the ability to simply view a video from your site via phone is just as important, if not more so, in today's on-the-go society.

Video is becoming an increasingly important trend which online marketers are going to have to consider, much sooner, than later.

MA WebCenters has responded by adding a new video integration tool recently, at no additional cost (as usual) for our member business owners. It uploads and converts video on the fly to mp4 format, which is compatible with video capable smart phones. Once uploaded, you simply drag and drop onto your web page!

Free Screen Sharing Program Works Great!

2011-09-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

I downloaded a screen sharing program similar to GotoMeeting from FreeScreenSharing.com and it works great! Use it for business sales presentations, product demos, webinars, etc. I used it to take a business owner on a tour of all the great online marketing tools included in their new MAWebCenter's Online Marketing Solution.

It has instructional text that you copy and paste into an email to invite participants. If you have an email campaign tool, like the one included with our Solution, you just paste it once and even personalize it by including the person's name in the email message. Then send it out to your email campaign list.

You use your phone for the audio portion of the meeting. If you are just sharing with one person (one call number) you can just call them directly and not use the conference call setup.

All in all a very fine tool for the price. Check it out and let me know how it works for you.

FreeScreenSharing.com

Five 10-Minute Tips to Boost Your Website

2011-07-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

With our fully-inclusive digital marketing solution, any small or mid-sized business is empowered with user-friendly features to create the kind of professional Web presence that larger companies pay thousands of dollars to build and maintain!

MA WebCenters Business Solution takes your site to the next level with these five presence-enhancing tips that are so quick and convenient to implement using our solution's simple tools, they can be done in about ten minutes or less!

Tell site visitors about yourself.

If you're interested in boosting your credibility, you can do it with ease by adding information to an "About Us" page using our solution. You can add images (put a face with a name!) and offer personal, human information that consumers love to see from businesses (check out my upcoming "Did you know..." for more on that!).

Don't forget about e-mail campaigns!

They're just as important as ever! Any successful Web presence - whether it belongs to a smaller business or a giant corporation - always offers site visitors the opportunity to sign up for e-mail updates. With our solution, building an e-newsletter is a cinch!

Monitor your success.

Our solution enables users to evaluate their digital marketing efforts, analyze what's working and make modifications when necessary. The comprehensive site statistics section is packed with info to keep businesses on the right track!

Add videos!

Using the rich media tools to embed videos on your site will give your overall presence an entirely new dimension. Videos allow site visitors to learn more about products, services and businesses without reading lengthy blocks of text. It's fun, fast and effective!

Feature Testimonials!

This is another method that lends to your credibility. Whether you choose to add an entire page dedicated to customer feedback or add testimonials to every page of your site, the drag-and-drop capabilities of our solution allow you to accomplish this task quickly and effortlessly!

There you have it! It's never been easier with MA WebCenters all-inclusive online business solution. I enjoy teaching these concepts to business owners and it's gratifying to see the successful results they are having. It's so easy with the tools provided and the awesome technical support team that is always ready to help as well.

To your success...

Building Your Online Community

2011-05-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

As we discussed in a recent blog post, one pivotal step in the successful social media marketing process is to effectively create a community! This time we're going to explain community-building through the Four I's of Digital Community Creation!

There are numerous variations on the "Four I's" in the field of marketing, but for today's purposes, we feel like these are the most applicable. Check them out!

Invite - Businesses and solo entrepreneurs must promote their social presence and actively encourage their audience to follow them! It's not enough to simply have the accounts; you need to get the word out!

Inform - Once you've attracted your following, keep that growing community informed about upcoming promotions, exclusive discounts, new products and so on!

Involve - As you probably already know, a successful community of followers is founded on participation and involvement! Businesses should invite involvement from their social audience by opening discussions, holding contests, creating polls...think of the possibilities!

Influence - Some marketers use this interchangeably with "impact," but whichever you prefer, the goal is nearly the same: to have a long-lasting and clear community-wide effect. This can be a call to action in the form of making a purchase, of course, but in the social/community-oriented marketplace, it can just as easily be related to a cause that's important to the business or solo entrepreneur. Think beyond your business...it's the best way to foster social network communities!

We now have a whole new Social Media Marketing Team in place to specifically provide expertice and support for our member business owners. For a clearer idea of how our social media marketing platform can benefit your business, check out the video. Then contact us about a free test-drive to experience the difference.

Make The Most Of Email Marketing

2011-04-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

There's a rumor making its way around the digital arena alleging that social media has rendered email marketing obsolete. We're here to tell you that's just not true! And that means the email marketing tools we've built into our WebCenter Solution are as indispensible as ever! So today we're reiterating some important email marketing tips that you can use to make the most of your online presence!

Balance Copy and Images
According to Alex Madison and Lisa Harmon at MediaPost's Email Insider, the balance between email text and images depends largely upon the nature of the business.
"While lots of lovely images and minimal copy can boost click-through and engagement for B2C (Business to Consumer) audiences, B2B (Business to Business) subscribers...respond to no-frills creativity that prioritizes copy over imagery."

Our WebCenter clients appreciate how easy it is to use our solution to experiment with text and image content in their email campaigns! They can edit and adapt their messages to suit the specific needs of their business...and they can do it all without paying for additional services!

Find a Form that Fits
Similar to the previous tip, Madison and Harmon say that both B2B and B2C businesses should hold on to their successful email layouts and use them as forms or templates for future use. Along with the obvious convenience, this is beneficial because it allows businesses to keep their messages "consistent and recognizable."

Again, this step is simple with the help of our WebCenter Solution! Not only can you modify and save your winning forms; you can create a look that's tailored to your business, thus enhancing your business' credibility and boosting your customer retention rates!

Don't Lose Track of the WIIFM Factor!
As any experienced salesperson will tell you, potential buyers have one question on their minds: "What's in it for me?!" Successful sales hinge on anticipating that question and answering it effectively! Your business is no different.

That's why you need to understand the value of targeting and customizing your emails. You should be creating messages that are relevant to specific customers' preferences and they should include exclusive discounts that reward your email readers for their continued loyalty!

Strategies For Search Engine Optimization

2011-03-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

We'd like to share the advice we've covered here from Anita Campbell's Small Business Trends blog. Campbell compiled a list of expert-recommended SEO tactics for small businesses written by her fellow bloggers. We've plucked a few to share with you.

1. Place credibility above all else.
Matt McGee from the Small Business Search Marketing blog wrote that "Trust is the #1 SEO ranking factor." To that end, he advises readers to earn trust from site visitors by "providing great content," assuring that "search engines will follow suit."
"Establish yourself as an expert - create excellent content that people will want to link to and share."
This should be your highest priority! If you use your Website to build credibility, everything else will fall into place naturally! This ties together nicely with another of Campbell's tips...

2. Use your content to target humans, not search engines.
Marty Lamers at the blog Articulayers suggested that readers write site content with humans in mind rather than attracting the attention of search engine crawlers.
"Create stronger content versus increasing the density of targeted keywords," he wrote. This will make the content more valuable to a wider audience.

3. Keep it local!
Since most consumers are using search engines to find local businesses, you should include as much local-oriented content as possible, according to Vedran Tomic of SEO Rabbit.
"To attract visitors from your local area, include words on your website that your customers use to describe your business (not necessarily the words you use). If you serve a specific geographic area, describe that in detail on your website."

4. Integrate Social Media.
This suggestion was provided to Campbell by Tamar Weinberg at Techipedia. According to Weinberg, the popularity and trust that consumers instill in social media sites like Twitter and Facebook mean that "search engines may rank these pages higher than other destinations on the 'net."

Create profiles on social media sites (e.g., Facebook) and add content to such sites regularly. Fresh content means search engines will visit often!

The secret? It's a no-brainer, and it's so easy with our Web Solution!

Marketing Channel Strategies

2011-01-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

By now you know that all businesses (including yours!) must embrace a digital marketing strategy that extends beyond merely operating a Web site. But each digital marketing channel plays a different role as part of a broader overall strategy. Let's look at how these individual channels - all of which are integrated and available through our WebCenter solution - could be used specifically for a comprehensive digital marketing strategy!

Facebook:
Facebook is ideal for creating a community around a business or brand. Seek input from followers and friends, and let them carry relevant conversations, too!

Blogging:
Blogs allow you to establish yourself as an expert! For a business, this can mean weighing in on industry news or even discussing upcoming events within the company to demonstrate growth, credibility and expertise!

Twitter:
Sharing is the name of the game for Twitter! Send out links to articles, videos, images....anything! Twitter's other primary role is quick customer service - respond in an instant to valued patrons with questions or comments!

Email Newsletters:
An email newsletter is perfect for sending out a call to action! Businesses can tell their opt-in email recipients all about upcoming store events, exclusive discounts, new menu items, product recommendations...the opportunities are nearly endless!
(Pssst... insert links to your Twitter and Facebook accounts in your
e-newsletters for optimal results!)

Bear in mind, of course, that none of these channels have to be used solely for each purpose we listed here...this isn't an exact science, and there's bound to be some overlap! But as you move forward with social media, blogging and email, you'll establish more specific goals and a better strategy, if you decide at the outset which role each channel will play!

DID YOU KNOW...

2011-01-10T21:29:00.000-08:00

This year marks a milestone for online advertising, according to eMarketer! That's because advertisers will spend more online than they spend on newspaper advertising! Online ad spending is expected to increase 13.9%, reaching $25.8 billion, versus a mere $22.78 billion on print newspaper ads! For print, that's a full 8.2% decrease over last year...and there's little doubt that amount will continue to fall!

eMarketer CEO Geoff Ramsey said this "tipping point" may have been inevitable, it's a major benchmark nonetheless, remarking that "Marketers are devoting bigger shares of their budgets to digital media as they see more customers shifting time toward the Web."

The Case for Using Social Media

2010-10-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

Consultant Greg Verdino says businesses can use social media to shift from targeting everyone to cultivating only customers they want.

Entrepreneurs have been aiming for a select group of customers for years. What's new here?

The playing field has flip-flopped. Social media and the Web gave small business owners ways to compete more effectively against big businesses. But a lot of companies are struggling with the shift to a universe where everyone can be a mini media mogul.

Isn't it hard to tell if social media campaigns are working?

I don't believe it's more difficult to measure the impact. Think of any form of traditional advertising; there is no reliable way to say exactly what you got in many cases. Some of the social-media campaigns may be less predictable and harder to wrap your head around, because they involve more than just creating one ad and running it anyplace that will take your money. But social media is no less measurable. Ford, for example, knows the 10 million-plus impressions it got from its social-media campaign for the Ford Fiesta launch was far greater than it would have seen in a traditional campaign. The company got nearly 100,000 people to say they wanted to test-drive the car. And it had 60 percent brand awareness for a vehicle that wasn't even on the market—roughly equivalent to the awareness of a car that's been on the market for two to three years. That's a very tangible outcome for a far lower cost.

How do you persuade time-strapped managers to use social media?

I would challenge small business owners to identify one thing that's not working in their marketing. If they're investing time and energy in sales activities that aren't resulting in an acceptable close rate, they should reinvest that time in new approaches. A little less cold calling and a little more sharing thought leadership on a blog might have more people picking up the phone. The old ways of marketing aren't working as well as they once did. That doesn't mean I'm advocating a full 180. The two can work in tandem. Over time, many of these new approaches can come to overtake the old ways and be more effective for less money—even if in the interim it costs you a little bit of time.

Is this just for companies that sell to consumers?

Oftentimes, business-to-business gets short shrift when it comes to social media. But the very notion of "micromarketing"—using these tools and tactics to appeal directly and deeply to the few right people—is at least as well suited to business-to-business marketers. Most of these companies are, by definition, micromarketers. They appeal to a tightly focused, highly targeted community rather than the masses.

-Nick Leiber, BusinessWeek Sept 2010

DID YOU KNOW... We are now helping our maWebCenters business owners utilize the power of social media that is included in our online business solution. Our technical support team works with business owners individually to help them create a successful online presence. Try a no-cost, no-obligation test-drive today!

Features vs Benefits

2010-09-23T23:54:00.000-07:00

A friend that works at a car dealership was recently discussing a sales technique with me. "We're not allowed to let customers leave...until they take a test drive," she said. "If they take a test drive, the chances that they'll buy really improve."

What does this have to do with today's topic? The car dealership's policy clearly illustrates the difference between selling features and selling benefits.

So what's the difference?

Feature: The structure, physical description, or attributes of your product or service.

Benefit: The emotional reasons or connections your prospect makes with your product or service.

At a car dealership, putting the consumer in the driver's seat changes the way they view the vehicle. No longer are they looking at the "features" of the car, they are experiencing the benefits. (Hence the increase in sales.)

So what can you do to make sure your message is speaking to your prospect's heart and not their head? Ask yourself a series of questions:

How will their life be better, easier, or more fun with my product or service?
Why will they want to tell their friends about my company?
Without my product or service, what will the prospect be missing?
How will the prospect justify this purchase to themselves or their spouse?

By answering these questions, you will discover the benefits that will attract your prospects. No matter how tempted you may be to point out the incredible "features" of your product, sell with the prospect in mind.

When you constantly put the prospects emotions first, you will create marketing messages that drive sales like you've never seen before.

- Clate Mask
CEO, Infusionsoft

DID YOU KNOW... We have been offering a "test-drive" of maWebCenters Complete Turnkey Business Solution for quite some time, so that business owners "experience" the benefits that place us above the rest. You will find that there is no other company as dedicated, qualified and experienced as maWebCenters.
Experience the benefits for yourself today!

Business Blogging got you Stumped?

2010-08-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

One of the most common concerns expressed by small business owners who are new to digital marketing is that they don't know what to write about in their blog entries. That means they're neglecting a valuable opportunity to market their business and communicate with their customers!

Tell your story. This is a great way for you to get your blog started. Who are you? Who's on your team? Why did you choose the industry you're in? When did you decide to become an entrepreneur? This topic can be separated into a series of entries, too!

Put the audience in your shoes. Tell readers what a day or a week in your business is like. Take us on a tour of your world!

Get out into your community. Being active in various community events (like local fundraisers) creates a win/win scenario for everybody involved - it's a way for businesses to promote themselves while contributing to a worthwhile cause! Use your blog to share that experience with readers. Take pictures; describe the event and tell readers what compelled you to become involved with that particular cause.

Compare your business to the big fish. Small and medium-sized companies everywhere almost certainly face larger national competitors. If you operate one of these smaller businesses, what gives you a competitive advantage over the corporate giants? Maybe it's your understanding of the local culture. Perhaps you partner with other local companies. Regardless of your industry, you can always make a solid case for your business against the others with just a little brainstorming!

Use your resources! Consult your Facebook and Twitter pages to find inspiration from your online community!
Ask the readers! Send questions or requests for content ideas via e-newsletter, Twitter feed, Facebook or with a simple post on your home page! Customers will love feeling included and will appreciate knowing that their online voice is heard!

Did You Know? MA WebCenters Web solution comes complete with Blogger integration tools, it's easy for businesses to maintain a blog as part of their digital presence. MA WebCenters provides seamless multi-channel integration! Business owners can check their site statistics section to see what their most popular products or pages are, and create a blog post from that information. This is just one of the many advantages available to you under one simple, easy to maintain platform.

Find out more at Simply WebCenters today!

Importance of Personalization

2010-06-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Personalization is very important to the success of your online business.

Even though there is widespread recognition of the power of personalization for online shopping, few companies pursue to do it effectively. To be able to master personalization, you first need to master where your customers are going on your site. Where they are coming from. What they are buying, what they are most interested in.

Collecting this information is one of the biggest obstacles for businesses to successfully personalize the experience for their customers.The ways and means of providing personalization has come a long ways with the advances in technology.

Today, personalization means delivering product recommendations, offers, and content based on what you know about a given customer. Offering up-sells and cross-sells based on personalization can significantly improve your bottom line.

Would you like to be able to have all this information at your disposal in an easy to comprehend format? Gather information you can use to personalize your customer's online experience? Would you like to be able to accomplish these tasks in an easy, simple manner, so you can run your website at the speed of your business?

Simply WebCenters brings the power of personalization to small-to-medium size business owners via MA WebCenters' Complete Online Business Solution Package. All the necessary tools are integrated into our comprehensive e-commerce system. Take the time to test-drive a WebCenter designed specifically for your business today and experience the difference.

It's MORE than just a website.

Building Your Brand

2010-05-11T16:17:00.000-07:00

"You've got to be bold, you've got to be provocative, and you've got to be daring" says Mary van de Weil, CEO of Zing Your Brand. According to her, your business has just moments to succinctly communicate your purpose and value to consumers before they click away from you.

"Branding is what sets you apart - it's a natural magnet. If people come to your site, they need to say, 'Yes, this is who can answer my problem.' If you make a bad impression in the first five seconds, you're toast."

The most essential component of successful online branding is the human element, she says. "People are craving a story. They want to know something about who they're buying from, and they feel like they need to like and trust you," she explains. You've got to shout what it is that makes you special and makes you different. Our personalities are what drive our brands. Look at Richard Branson - his personality is embedded in all the Virgin Brands. You need to put a face on your business."

"Not enough companies take advantage of the opportunity to tell a story that's bigger than the company itself. There's always a story you can tell. Maybe your merchandise is made from local products or from sustainable materials. You've got to find that unique angle."

- Entrepreneur Magazine, May 2010

Don't Be Hostage To Your WebMaster

2010-03-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

"If you're thinking about outsourcing your website design or programming, then consider how much control you will ultimately have over it. Today's friendly web designer or programmer can become tomorrow's hostage taker, holding your website, shopping cart, or other web-based technology for ransom over even the slightes...t disagreement. Protect yourself."
-Mikal Belicove, Entreprenuer Magazine March 2010

The best way to protect yourself, is to have a website that you can control and manage yourself, at the speed of your business. Seeing is believing. Check out the MA WebCenter Demo now! It's more than just a website...

www.SimplyWebCenters.com

Customer Communication Is Key

2010-02-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

One of the most valuable aspects of your Web site is to have a comprehensive e-mail feature. Regardless of your industry.

"...It's your hub for customer communication."

Studies show that consumers are increasingly checking their inbox for e-mails from their favorite businesses, and companies are taking notice! According to a Lyris Webinar entitled 10 Trends that Will Make or Break your Email ROI in 2010, e-mail is the "highest-performing online marketing tool" available today!

Lyris' J.D. Peterson told the audience that e-mail is a low cost way to promote a business and it can easily be integrated with other Web marketing strategies like search engine optimization,e-commerce and social networking!

Since our Web solution is all-inclusive, everything your business needs to create a cohesive, integrated Web presence is available in one system. Why should you rely on several costly firms when you can effortlessly control your own online presence using a solution that's easy on your budget? It's a no-brainer!

"...There's no better way to build customer loyalty!"

Sending regular e-newsletters will ensure that you stay at the forefront of your customers' minds. With the convenient e-mail campaign tools in our Web solution, businesses can distribute messages packed with information about upcoming store events,industry news, e-coupons and more! It's the most cost effective way to keep customers coming back again and again!

"...It's easy to measure success."

One of Peterson's suggestions for maximizing e-mail ROI is to "use Web site visitor behavior to better target e-mail." This may sound like an overwhelming process for smaller businesses,but with our solution, it's incredibly easy! You can simply consult the site statistics section to gauge site visitor behavior and base your messages around these results! You'll find out which pages on your site are the most popular, which search engines visitors use to find your site, which products or services are a big hit, and much, much more! With this information, you can create targeted e-mail campaigns and send those messages to a specific group within your contact list!

Keep e-mail marketing in mind. Whether you hope to increase profits, reduce spending on advertising or enhance customer service, our Web solution's e-mail tools are a springboard to accomplishing these goals!

Find out more at www.SimplyWebCenters.com today!

Don't Be Just Another Web Brochure

2010-02-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

Some of you business owners may already have a Web site for your business, but often these sites are outdated, unfinished or inactive "online brochures" that offer no opportunities for consumer interaction. So , we're featuring several of Peter Moore's "essentials for your business Web site."

Contact Details and Map - If you run a brick-and-mortar location for your business, you'll draw more customers just by using our Web solution's tools to add your e-mail address, street address and phone number to each page of your site! Our solution also allows site owners to add a map and driving directions, so online visitors won't have to leave your site to find out how to reach your business! Moore points out that Web users "won't spend hours looking for you and trying to trace you - they'll just go elsewhere and find another site." This is definitely true these days, as people now expect quick and easy access to information!

Photos and Videos - Adding these features will lend to the credibility of your business, as Moore explains. "It means that people can see who you are and it assures them that you are real!" Moore writes that featuring videos on the site (such as a tutorial or tour) "can add a three-dimensional look to your site and is just another way to show people that you are real and that you understand their needs." Our Web solution is designed to allow the easy addition of images and videos, and these tools are beneficial for any business in any industry!

Newsletters - Sending e-newsletters to opt-in contacts serves a number of functions. Above all, they facilitate ongoing communication between your business and your customers. By using the e-mail campaign tools in our Web solution, you can send targeted newsletters on a regular basis to everyone on your contact list. You can do it in minutes...on your own time!

Feedback & Testimonials - Web users place profound importance on the opinions of fellow shoppers. Our Web solution allows site owners to add pages for receiving feedback and displaying customer testimonials. What's more, business owners can also take advantage of our solution's customer review capabilities! It's all available through one convenient, comprehensive system!

Make sure it's complete! - According to Moore, businesses with incomplete sites stand to lose credibility. With our Web solution, that's never an issue! It's easy for any small- or medium-sized business to update and edit their site content, and those changes happen in real time! The site will never show up as "under construction," and Web visitors will always be able to access a professional online storefront that enhances your reliability.

These are all important features and are included among many more great features in our complete Web Solutions package. Find out more at www.SimplyWebCenters.com now!

Social Marketinig - Avoid Doing This...

2010-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Taigh Smyth, Internet Marketing Expert, provided this insight when marketing using social networking sites.

If you are thinking of using Social Marketing sites to build your business this is an important article for you to read to avoid making the fatal mistakes that most online marketers are committing right now, and wondering why their business is not growing.

Social marketing sites have changed the internet and the way we communicate with others. A couple examples of social marketing sites are Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is usually a place where friends connect and people meet one another. This is very important to understand for when people don't play by the rules, they will be rejected by others in the group.

So how are marketers abusing these social marketing sites? Many marketers who see the mass number of people on these sites feel that it's a good idea to get their noise in and advertise to these people. This is probably the worst thing you can do. Here is why.

Let's take the example of going to a party, that's basically what social marketing sites are like, a place where people are meeting other people. Now would you walk into a party and introduce yourself as the "God of Online Marketing" and can help them with all of their problems? Of course not - I hope. But people are doing it every day online. They have corny profiles such as, "MakeMillions" and go around asking if they can help you.

There are a few things wrong with this strategy. First I immediately question to myself, "If this person is so successful then why is he going around begging others to be friends and wanting to help me?” Second and this is even more important, is that they are just annoying everybody at the party (the social marketing site). Immediately you remind them of an annoying network marketer who just will not stop calling them to 'join their business'. So instead of building the business and annoying people face-to-face, people are now going on to social marketing sites to market with the same 'failure proven' techniques.

Social marketing sites are a place where people can meet one another and build new relationships. It is not a new medium for advertising and recruiting. Be respectful of the people you meet and get to know one another. At some point they may ask you what you do and if it seems like a good fit, you can put on your marketing hat and take the next step.

Social marketing sites have made it easier than ever to connect with people all over the world, so learn the unspoken rules, build relationships, and prosper with one another.

What's the Most Effective Marketing Technique?

2010-01-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

Marketing experts are constantly weighing in on the best way to promote a business online, and e-mail comes out on top time and time again! Take Michele Fontanelli from Meta Media, for instance. She writes on DMNews.com that “e-mail marketing is one of the most effective retention marketing techniques available,” and reminds readers that any business can – and should - make the most of this avenue.

“Whatever business you’re in – whether you’re a local hairdresser trying to increase return traffic to your salon or a multi-million dollar e-commerce site with more than 1,000 products to sell – e-mail marketing should be one of the highest priorities within your online marketing strategy.”

Fontanelli offers some valuable tips for e-mail marketing. Take advantage of these ideas with your current clients or use them to build value in your business while talking to prospects!

Bring customers back.

Fontanelli suggests that businesses use e-mail to offer incentives for customers to visit your site or business after long periods of inactivity. With MA WebCenter's all-inclusive Web solution, any small- or mid-sized business can easily identify which of their contacts hasn’t shopped with them in a while and send an e-mail directly targeted to that group!

Provide Recommendations.

You can also use the e-mail campaign tools in our Web solution to send product or service recommendations. If you’ve got customers who prefer a particular product, they can launch a personalized e-mail campaign with recommendations for similar products that those customers might also enjoy! Site visitors will appreciate the recommendations, and you can boost your profitability when customers purchase the suggested products!

Keep customers updated.

Fontanelli writes that “new product or service e-mails are the perfect excuse to e-mail your customer base. You are not only getting your name in front of your customers once again, but you are giving them a whole new reason to be interested in what you have to offer.”

But you don’t have to wait until you introduce a new product or service to send an e-mail like the one Fontanelli’s talking about. When you send regular e-newsletters to your opt-in site visitors, you can include news about in-store events or a link to a recent write-up in the local newspaper. These techniques will also keep your business fresh in the customer’s mind!

No matter how you use our Web solution’s e-mail campaign features, the key is to urge customers to purchase a product on your site or take advantage of a service at your brick-and-mortar location. As Fontanelli writes, a call to action should “always be your number one consideration.”

To find out more on how our Web solution can benefit your business, contact us today!

Get Listed for Local Google Searches

2009-09-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

You can now list your business with Google local listing searches.

There are tools to help customers find your business easier, see where your customers are coming from, and more... go to http://google.com/lbc and get listed today.

http://www.simplywebcenters.com/

Is Social Media a Fad?

2009-09-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

Or is it the biggest shift since the industrial revolution? Watch this thought provoking video and judge for yourself...

Are You Ready?

http://www.simplywebcenters.com/

Secrets To An Effective Web Presence

2009-09-12T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's time for small and medium-sized businesses to move beyond their online brochures and pack their Web sites with engaging, interactive content.

We've been talking a lot about this lately, and we've got even more advice on the topic this week! Bill Siwicki at Internet Retailer interviewed some leading e-commerce experts about running an effective Web presence. Their opinion? Content is everything!

"Having well-developed site content detailing products and categories can turn pages of an e-commerce site into a presence akin to the most knowledgeable of salespersons...thus making consumers more comfortable with online shopping-and more apt to buy," Siwicki concluded.

Jason Friedman, e-Commerce VP at J&R Electronics, talked to Siwicki about what makes his company's site so successful. Friedman said feedback from online customers helps him understand what he needs to add or change on the company's Web site.

Our clients can use the feedback page included in our Web Solution for the same purpose...it's an easy way to make site visitors feel like valued customers!

Friedman also uses "well-written, in-depth product descriptions with multiple images" and creates site pages "devoted to education through articles, videos and more" as a means of keeping site visitors informed about their potential purchases. He says this extra attention to content is what clinches sales for his company!

That's great advice for your business as well! With our Complete Web Solution Package, you can create the kind of e-commerce catalog Friedman's talking about and develop site pages with embedded media and industry-related articles. Because the solution we offer is so user-friendly, it won't take much effort for you to add those features and achieve the same results!

Siwicki also spoke with Keith Maddox at Parentgiving about his company's thriving Web presence. Maddox echoed Friedman's comments...content is what drives sales!

"...you have to offer a great Web experience that includes excellent content, so people researching products online will come to know you as an authority and become repeat customers."

To be credible figures in your industry, you need an online presence that's professional, informative and interactive! That's how you can draw customers and keep them coming back!

"The alternative is having an image, a short description and a Buy! button and hope they buy, and that's not enough," Friedman says.

If you don't see the value in a dynamic Web site that allows you to add superior content, this advice from your peers will help change your mind!

------- Did you know...

E-mail marketing is helping companies beat the downturn and increase their marketing budgets! E-Consultancy and Clash-Media's latest study revealed that 53% of surveyed companies in the US have increased their marketing budget over the past year...all because of their e-mail and online campaigns!

The respondents cited cost-effectiveness, better targeted marketing and increased ROI as their reasons for switching to online lead generation. Here's what two of the respondents had to say:

"Better comparability between online and offline cost-per-lead has enabled us to shift budgets from off to online."

"Offline is too expensive and doesn't get the same speed of responses as online. Online gives faster calls to action and results, too."

Companies everywhere are switching their marketing efforts to the Web! They're saving money, reaching a larger market and increasing their profit all at the same time. And with our Web Solution's e-mail marketing tools, you can too! Set an appointment and let our Product Specialists show you what an effective Web presence can do for your business!

www.SimplyWebCenters.com

Are You Ready For The Value Hunters?

2009-09-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

The latest study by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates (in partnership with LinkShare) reveals that all those consumers who have turned to the Web are sticking with their new habit!

According to a press released about the study: "With the economy slowing down over the past year, a shopping behavior that for some consumers had been an occasional habit has now become a routine - turning to the Internet to find the best value."

Earlier in the downturn, PSB coined the term "Recession Shoppers" to refer to those consumers. Now they're calling this group "Value Hunters," because the shoppers aren't just comparing prices anymore....they're looking for overall better value and a better experience on the Web!

"These consumers...claimed that as economic situations worsened, they would look to the Internet to find the best deals. Now, months later, even as the economy's vital signs are improving, online shopping behavior shows consumers are still heavily focused on value - in quality price, convenience and time."

Now, according to the researchers, "value" is the new fundamental objective of online consumers! As LinkShare's Yaz! Iida explains, "More than ever before, consumers are searching online for products, services and Web sites that provide value."

Here's a breakdown of the study's findings based on their survey of "Value Hunters:"

51% look for incentives when making online purchases
63% have purchased something online they wouldn't normally have because of a special offer
68% of online shoppers search for value in the form of coupons and special promotions
45% purchase something online once a week or more
47% prefer shopping online to shopping in-store
22% plan to make more purchases online this year than last year

PSB advises that online businesses can "differentiate themselves from competition through value offerings." That means focusing on "pricing, quality and experience."

These businesses must "create an online experience built on value." PSB specifically emphasizes accomplishing this "through the use of an easy-to-navigate Web site!"

There's a lot to take away from this study! First, owners of small- and medium-sized businesses-need a Web presence to garner attention from all those "Value Hunters" out there. It's a crucial market that you simply can't ignore. Also, for all business owners who currently have a site, you need to move beyond your low-quality online brochures to a dynamic, engaging Web site that provides visitors with a superior experience, including e-mail campaigns that promote discounts! Simply WebCenters offers a complete Web solution that provides all the tools necessary to accomplish these things...easily and effectively!

--- Did you know...

July was an encouraging month in the world of online sales, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index! Capgemini's Mike Petevinos said, "Online continues to perform strongly with year-on-year growth in July exceeding the last 12 months average at 16.8%...as retailers further improve their online propositions with better product information, visual merchandising and delivery methods."

And Tina Spooner, also with Capgemini, said online retailers were clearly outperforming their brick-and-mortar counterparts.

"It is evident that online merchants are becoming more sophisticated in their marketing efforts and e-mail communications to their customers, the result of which can be seen in higher conversion rates..." Spooner said.

Businesses that leverage the Web are going to experience better success and growth during the downturn, and retailers are catching on! It's time for you to get on board! We will help you achieve these results!

Set an appointment today for a no-cost, no-obligation demonstration of our Complete Business Web Solution Package.

Visit us at SimplyWebCenters.com

E-commerce Remains Strong and Steady, Despite the Downturn

2009-07-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

According to Jupiter Research's U.S. Online Retail Forecast for 2007-2012, e-commerce sales reached $128 billion in 2008, and that total is expected to climb to $148 billion this year!
A study by The Conference Board and TNS Retail Forward found that 5% of online households plan to spend more than $500 at e-commerce Web sites this year ... that's a four percent increase over 2008!
Forrester Research also revealed that 72% of companies surveyed said economic conditions have not impacted their e-business technology plans. In fact, over half of the companies said they planned to increase their e-business technology budgets. Forrester analyst Brian Walker said businesses will continue to make the investment in e-commerce because they understand the power of the online channel.
A sweeping number of consumers are taking their holiday shopping online. ATG and The E-Tailing Group predicted that 49% of U.S. holiday gift shoppers would turn to the Web in 2008, marking the first year ever that Web shopping would surpass in-store shopping.
Research released by ComScore and MasterCard in early 2009 show that ATG's prediction about a jump in holiday online spending was accurate! ComScore's Gian Fulgoni reported that, "... e-commerce trends outperformed overall consumer spending in several product categories, which is to say that e-commerce continued to capture an increasing share of consumers' wallet."
Shop.org and Forrester Research report that in the first quarter of 2009, U.S. online retail sales rose an average of 11%! While most brick-and-mortar establishments without a Web site were reporting losses, 58% of the surveyed retailers with an online presence reported that their Web sales increased during the first quarter!

Great WebSite Promotion Tips

2009-07-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

By following these Web site promotion tips from our MA WebCenters Technical Support Team, you'll greatly improve your chance of ranking well with the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

SUBMIT RIGHT: Submit your site once a month to search engines. Directories have their own rules for how often to submit. If your site is in the directory already, don't resubmit to it. Use your Web site Promotion tool to submit, including all of its links to search engines that require manual submission. Always submit using the same domain name. Google and others have cracked down on the submission of several domain names that all point to the same site or to identical content in another site (mirroring). Begin submitting as soon as you have a good home page and a few other pages with content (no "under construction" wording); you should also have a domain name pointing to your site which will be the only domain name you'll use in all submissions.

HOME PAGE:Make sure your home page is the first one ready for the search engines -- and is friendly for humans as well as search engines. Disable pages that are under construction. "Coming soon" is okay if you include good text describing the coming content. Disable your splash page. Avoid putting anything onto your site's pages (especially the home page) that will cause them to load slowly, such as Java or huge images. Provide text links as well as buttons. Update your site often; visitors and search engines like fresh content.

TITLE: Give each page a unique title, reflecting what the page is about. The page's title needs to be 60 characters long counting all characters including spaces. Start with your most important search words. Capitalize the first letter of each major word. Use no more than 2 commas. Use the same rules for the names of items, categories etc. in your catalog, since their names act as titles for their pages.

KEYWORDS: Give each page and each item in your catalog a unique keywords meta tag, reflecting what the page or item is about. The keywords list can be long (even 1024 characters for some search engines) but don't add words just to make it long. More words can mean less power for each word. Put your most important keywords first. Include plural versions and variations such as hyphenations and common misspellings. Break up very similar keywords by putting dissimilar words in between, so it doesn't look as if you're stuffing the same word again and again into the list. Don't use the same word more than 5 times in the keywords list.

DESCRIPTION: Give each page and each item, category, etc., in your catalog a unique description meta tag, reflecting what the page, item etc. is about. The meta description can be up to 250 characters. Don't use more than 2 commas. Put your most important search terms first. Avoid unnecessary words such as promotional language. Use correct grammar and spelling, since the description meta tag is displayed in some search results.

CONTENT: The page's content needs to include a good amount of readable text. Search engines can't read images and most can't read Flash. Most won't follow frames or Javascripted or Flash links to other pages. Put your most important search terms early on the page in large font. Include two or three occurrences of your most important search phrases in the page content, ideally as links to related pages in your site. The words in text links are important to search engines like Google. Give each image a unique ALT tag using words that relate to the image plus a search term or two.

GEOGRAPHY: If your business is focused on a certain region, then your content, title and meta tags need to include the appropriate geographical terms such as the city, region, and state(s) that you serve. Your site might also qualify for regional categories in directories such as DMOZ. Getting into regional categories can be faster than non-regional categories -- but check the rules for the category to make sure you qualify.

LINKS: Get other sites to link to yours and link your site to others. Search engines don't like "dead end" sites that lack external links. Directories are a good source of links to your site. The DMOZ directory is most important, but be sure to exploit special resources such as your local Chamber of Commerce site, local business directory sites, etc. Get other sites to use your top priority search term as the text link to your site. Make sure that they link using the same domain name that you use when submitting your site.

HUB PAGES: Enhance your catalog's visibility to search engines by adding "hub pages" to your site. On each hub page, feature several related products and offer text links to related categories in your catalog. Name your hub page using important search terms. A page for enamel bath tubs should be named "enamel_bath_tubs.html". Words in URL's are detected by some search engines including Google. On your home page, provide text links to these pages. Each text link should include the hub page's most important search term.

And the most important tip...

PLAY IT STRAIGHT: Don't cheat. A trick that works today could get you in trouble tomorrow, as search engine companies continue to thwart trickery. Just some of the tricks that have stopped working and can even get your site banned or penalized: redirects, hidden text, keywords listed anywhere other than in the keywords meta tag e.g. stuffed into ALT tags, tiny font, submitting the same content via different URL's, and too many occurrences of a word on a page.

There you have it...

To Your Ongoing Success

Why Are Newspaper Companies Failing?

2009-07-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Newspaper companies are folding all over the country right now. Big companies like the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Why? Because of big losses in ad revenue. Big advertisers are going where the consumers are, and consumers are not looking for information or shopping in newspapers anymore. The market is changing and consumers are going where it's easiest to get information and shop, and that's online. That's where the consumers are going, that's where big advertising is going and that's where you should be going too. Your competitors are.

We offer a unique approach by providing business owners the "experience" of test-driving a WebCenter designed specifically for your business, right on your own computer. You wouldn't want to own a car without test driving it first, right? By experiencing our Complete Web Solutions Package along with the opportunity to interact with our phenomenal support team, you'll see why our clients stick with us, month to month with no contracts. So contact us today and have a WebCenter designed specifically for your business and then have one of our Product Specialists walk you through a "test drive" with no cost or obligation.

Click Here to set up an appoinment now.

Google Rule Change Helps Local Businesses

2009-05-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Google "quietly" changed the way that it ranks search results on April 1st. This is important for all small businesses to take advantage of. Before April of this year, if you searched for "pizza" on Google, you would get nationwide results, which pretty much gave the big chains priority. Now that same search will look at your IP address and give higher placement to matching businesses that are close to your customer's location.

This is important for any business with a website that wants to attract local customers. Now small business owners can compete with the big guys for top placement. It has leveled the playing field so now competition is local for small-to-medium size businesses.

Read the complete article at SmallBusinessComputing.com

Check Out Dynamic Drive To Enhance Your WebSite

2009-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a great site recommended by the MA WebCenters Support Team for free HTML to enhance your website. Each comes with author's instructions and utilize a simple cut-and-paste method to insert the HTML scripts into the locations you select. There is a wide array of enhancements to explore on this site. Some may be a little complicated. If you need help, contact us or the MA WebCenters support team to get you up and running.

www.DynamicDrive.com

Small Businesses Seek Solutions Online

2009-05-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

APRIL 13, 2009

Having to do more with less, many small shops go digital.

Small businesses face stiff challenges in 2009.

According to a poll of US marketers by Bredin Business Information, the primary challenges in marketing to small businesses are funding new projects, growing the business with limited resources and increasing awareness.

In addition, marketers say the outlook for small-business marketing has changed in 2009. They are increasing their online activities, becoming more focused and conducting segmentation research to better target their customers.

It is no surprise that the local online marketing space is where many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are moving their efforts—and their dollars.

Borrell Associates estimated SMBs spent $7.4 billion on local online marketing in 2008.

That figure accounted for 11% of all SMB marketing spending, and more than one-half of total US local digital spending, including Website development.

-eMarketer

15 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS A WEBSITE

2009-04-26T18:04:00.000-07:00

1. It is the most cost-effective way to advertise.

2. Your customers expect it.

3. You will sell more products and services.

4. You will be able to provide information to your customers more cost effectively.

5. You can receive feedback via your Web site.

6. It is much easier to stay in contact with distributors and sales reps.

7. You can provide better customer service.

8. It's the best way to stay competitive -- considering that most of your rivals already own their own Web sites or are looking into getting one.

9. Your business will grow immediately. Any small, local business has the ability to be an instant international sensation with franchise penetration in every city -simply by getting an on-line presence.

10. Your business will look more professional.

11. You will gain credibility. A professional, well-designed site makes your business look successful, and builds trust in your company and its products/services.

12. You are open 24/7 without any added overhead and your sales potential may increase exponentially.

13. You have the ability to update sales information in real-time.

14. It is much more convenient for your customers to purchase your goods and services on-line than by physically coming to your location.

15. You can't afford not to. With Internet sales increasing almost 400% in the last six years, it's just good common sense to boost your business onboard the Internet superhighway.